Manning, one day after sentencing, announces ‘I am female’

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified documents to Wikileaks, has announced he wants to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible in order to transition to a woman. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports.

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NBC News Channel
March 31, 2015

This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>>there's a big controversy tonight after a surprise moment that made news this morning. on nbc's "today," the army private at the center of the wikileaks scandal,
bradleymanning
, declared he is a woman, as he heads off to begin his sentence at a
military prison
sot question tonight, will he get hormone treatments at ft.
leavenworth
?
jim miklaszewski
joins us from the pentagon.

>> reporter: good evening.
bradleymanning
arrived at the prison late today, convicted in the biggest leak in u.s. secrets in history, but it appears
manning
had one last secret left. just one day after
bradleymanning
was sentenced to 35 years in a
military prison
, the army private dropped a bombshell on nbc's "today," in a statement read by
savannah guthrie
.

>>i want everyone to know the real me. i am
chelseamanning
. i am a female.

>> reporter: from this day on,
manning
asked to be called only by the name
chelsea
and the female pronoun "she," not "he." the evidence was already out there, this photo of
manning
wearing a woman's wig and lipstick was presented by defense lawyers during
manning
's military trial for leaking u.s. secrets, as proof of transgender issues. but
manning
wants to take it one step further toward actually becoming a woman.

>>given the way that i feel and have felt since childhood, i want to begin
hormone therapy
as soon as possible.

>> reporter: a statement from the
military prison
at ft.
leavenworth
says the affirmy does not provide
hormone treatment
or
sex reassignment therapy
.
manning
's lawyer promises to take it to court.

>>it is
cruel and unusual punishment
not to provide necessary
medical treatment
.

>> reporter: transgender advocates argue that the ultimate decision for
hormone treatment
should be up to
manning
and a doctor, not the warden.

>>private
manning
is transgender and has a gender identity of female regardless of what the army does or doesn't do or thinks it will or won't do.

>> reporter: but there's also concern about
manning
's safety. the army reports that transgender prisoners are more likely to be assaulted by other inmates. officials at
leavenworth
insist they've taken steps to protect those prisoners like
manning
who may be at
high risk
. as for the
name change
, the army is not buying it. letters sent to
manning
at ft.
leavenworth
have to be addressed to
bradley
.
chelsea
won't make it. lester?